Mickey found himself in a completely white room. A window, once more, appeared before him.
***
Please select your Starting Realm, Tralas Mick.
You may preview the Realms by tapping on their names.
[1. Cariel Realm]
[2. Elearys Realm]
[3. Omiels Realm]
[4. Moriel Realm]
[5. Asniels Realm]
[6. Tuaros Realm]
[7. Calyms Realm]
***
“Oh, right, the starting areas. I forgot about this. Let’s check them one by one then.”
Mickey pressed on the first realm. From below, his feet as the origin, the white room changed, with the white of the room turning into feathers that flew away to reveal the environment they hid.
A river ran alongside Mickey and all around him was a lush and verdant plain. Mickey flew into the sky—or rather, the world moved around him, affording him a birds-eye view. Below his feet, he saw the river meet other rivers and further branch into more rivers. The world below him was a lush world of green rivers running across the land like veins. Wherever many rivers met, there was a settlement—its size dictated by how many rivers crossed it, possibly.
***
Cariel
The Realm where Rivers of Bounty bring their blessings for both the denizens and monsters to enjoy. It is a Realm of rivers, plains, trade, and abundance.
***
Mickey, impressed by how much he could see, quickly checked the next Realm. The simulation responded and transitioned to a more muted world. Below him, the lands were rocky with sparse patches of vegetation. Built into the rugged landscape were ruins and in other spots, expansive fortresses. Some fortresses protected towns of stone. Mickey spotted some denizens as the world moved below his feet. Bearded and carrying hammers, he quickly recognized them as dwarves. There were also some bigger humanoid creatures walking around with stone-encrusted arms.
***
Elearys
The Realm of forgotten structures and new fortifications. The land of Elearys is long past its prime but it still tries to live. For as long as it does, its people too, hardy and weathered, try to prosper, helping the land with the tools they build.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
***
The third Realm came. The land below was littered with craters and every so often, there would be a massive crater that was domed. Peering closer into the dome revealed cities and fields inside with many people walking the land.
***
Omiels
The Realm once plagued by disasters. Where judgment from the sky fell, prosperity could be found generations later. Omiels is a land where its people have taken to prospering in the scars of an event that once scarred them. Their cities are safe but the world outside their domes has yet to forgive the fate that befell them.
***
The fourth Realm was next; it was by far the most fantastical. Below was a sea of rolling clouds. Amongst the clouds, standing out like islands in the ocean were tall mountain tops. Some peaks were thin—one could barely expect to have more than four people stand atop it, but other peaks were expansive enough that cities with buildings ascending along with the mountain were easily hosted. The cities themselves looked rich, their walls adorned with carvings and murals. The closer one got to the clouds the more the settlement spread and the less impressive the dwellings became, with dwellings near the clouds looking like simple farming communes.
***
Moriel
The Realm where its denizens ascended to the mountain tops in an attempt to reach god. As they climbed, the world below was forgotten, swallowed by clouds. The mysteries below the clouds—abundant and dangerous—many who descend rarely return. Might paradise be in the world they left or were they right to abandon it so callously?
***
Mickey nodded his head, intrigued, but checked the fifth Realm. The world below grayed, and the skies above Mickey followed suit as dark clouds rolled in. The land below looked depressing, the soil at points adopting a purple tint. Along the land were points of light where sunlight had pierced the film of clouds. In these points of light, there were settlements. It seemed the settlements were built in the light purposefully—either that or the light landed on them because they were settlements. Dotting the earth, there were smaller points of light—they looked to be like light posts. Mickey spotted many pale denizens and on more than one occasion, walking skeletons.
***
Asniels
The Realm where the natural order has become blurred. Burdened by their mistake, the denizens of Asniel clamor to stay in the last embers of Asniel’s grace. This is a Realm where the natural order—that of life and death—was challenged and the victors if one would be so charitable to call them that still walk the land, shunned by the light’s grace for all eternity.
***
Mickey nodded repeatedly at the information and continued to the next Realm. The surroundings lightened up, and below, the dreary land was replaced by verdant foothills and worked land. The lands were dressed with roads carved out by the feet of its people—burly-looking minotaurs along with other giant creatures and more normal humanoids mixed in. To the far corners, far from roads, Mickey could see the beginnings of forests.
***
Tuaros
A Realm of humility. Its people live in peace, doing their part to protect and care for their lands. Danger is present only far away from the people. Tauros is a Realm of the capable and a realm of the appreciative.
***
The final realm appeared. Below, sand overtook the environment. Far across the vast, expanding deserts were cities of stone accented by colorful banners and tarps. With music and laughter playing so loudly that it reached Mickey’s ears, his eyes were drawn to the crowded city streets—it was the most active of the worlds he had seen. In the far reaches of the deserts, Mickey could see cliffs and sand-swept ruins.
***
Calyms
A Realm of mystery and revelry. The secrets buried beneath the infinite sands have long been forgotten by the people content to live in their homes, enjoying themselves. Calyms is a vast expanse that for those who brave it, the risk is huge, but so are the rewards.
***
“Wow, that’s all of them,” Mickey said, releasing a tired breath. “They’re pretty diverse—I really shouldn’t be surprised though if an AI is behind this…” Mickey looked at the window; it was waiting for his choice. Mickey smiled and pressed the button. “As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to play in it. Yeah, I’m going with this one.”